The Dreamkeepers
by anndoubleu
Summary: This is the sequel to the fanfiction Wish Upon A Star. The Mall Rats were forced to abandon their home at the end of Season 5, but not their hope. In this sequel to Wish Upon A Star, we follow the Mall Rats on their quest in keeping the dream alive as they adjust to new ways of life and work further to fix Mega's mistake and continue to rebuild a world void of the adult generation
1. Prologue

**The Dreamkeepers  
Prologue**

The forest is silent, almost too quiet. All he can hear is the babbling from the nearby brook and a few birds here and there. It pains him more than the blisters covering his body to know nature is also suffering from this disease. The animals seem immune to the sickness, but they've mostly all moved on, sensing the danger here. Not just the threat from the sickness, but the threat from the ruthless one they call Emile in The Badlands. That's what the city had become, what it had always been, The Badlands. But at least once there had been a dream kept alive there.

He stops walking, stopping at the tree in the middle of a clearing, it's vibrant, golden leaves evidence the Winter Solstice would be upon them soon. He needs the trunk for support as he reaches up to untie something from a branch. It's taken a lot of energy to even walk from his dwelling, even if it is just three minutes, and as he finally grabs his prize he nearly collapses to the ground.

He could've just had someone get it for him, but he's only just come to this decision. Besides he's already sent most of his tribe, the healthy ones away, to increase their chances at survival, only a few stubborn souls remain. One of them reminds him a bit of Pride. The child must have really been impacted by the man. Though, she wasn't a child any longer, he reminded himself. She was a young lady now, almost thirteen. How many solstices had passed since she'd joined? His mind could no longer do the math. 

"You should be lying down."

The voice startled him. He hadn't heard her coming. That made him proud, she'd learned well how to live here. But it was time for her to move on from nature, to find the Mall Rats. If there was any chance of surviving the second coming of this sickness, they'd have found the cure because they were the dreamers. They stopped at nothing to fight for their survival. It hasn't always ended well, he clutched the talisman in his hand closer to his heart, but there were always sacrifices to be had in life. He turns to face the young girl, having to look down to make eye contact. She had grown taller, yes, but he'd be surprised if she ever surpassed five feet.

"I came out here to retrieve this," he releases his fist his, letting the pendant drop and dangle by its tie for her to see. She gasps in recognition, already shaking her head no.

"You're giving up, aren't you?" tears pool in her big, brown eyes. "You have to fight!" She cries.

He smiles sadly at her, "It's the wheel of the world, the circle of time. If it is my time to give back to Gaia what she's given me then I won't fight it.

She wraps her arms around him, hugging him tightly. "I don't want you to die!"

"Remember what we taught you?" he hugs her back tightly, "You cannot hold back nature. You can only learn to flow with it. Sometimes it's the same with life." Everybody knew that everybody died.

"I do not fear death." He welcomed it. He'd seen enough in this life. But while it was the end for him, it was the beginning for her.

He lets her go, placing a light kiss atop her head. Pressing the talisman into her hand he peers into her eyes, his voice gentle, but firm.

"It's time little Mouse, you must find the Storm Crow."


	2. The Storm Crow

**Chapter 1: The Storm Crow**

Amber storms down the hallway. She's sure she's bumped into at least five people on her way, but she doesn't care. Trudy is hot on her trail, hoping to catch her before she says or does anything that would make her seem insane.

"Just wait!" Trudy puts a hand on her shoulder, finally catching up.

"Don't Trudy, just don't!" she shrugs her off. "They have no right, she has no right!"

She was speaking of Ellie. "This is not the work of a journalist!" she holds up the thick packet of paper. "I won't allow her to publish it!"

"This is not about Ellie's book and you know it. You're just directing your anger at her because you can't direct it at Bray."

She stops whirling around to face her friend. She hated that Trudy knew her so well because it was mostly the truth. "Did you read this? See what she wrote about you?" she deflects. "She wasn't even around for most of what she wrote; How should she know if I really loved Sasha or not?"

Trudy doesn't mean to, but she laughs. Sasha? This is what Amber was storming through the hallways for? "Now I know I'm right. You are just looking to take it out on someone because you can't take it out on Bray."

"No," Amber crosses her arms. "Okay, yes. He really has no right, telling me what I can and cannot do. "

"He's only wanting to stay close to his son."

"Yes but at the same time, it's also about Salene. Why am I making sacrifices for her?"

Trudy looks at her quizzical. "Okay, what's really going on? You can't really be that upset that he didn't want you to take a job with the Beta Unit."

Heaving a sigh uncrosses her arms, "We aren't Technos, Trude. We're Mall Rats. They've got a good system here, but it's not home."

It was true. They had an excellent system, like life had gone uninterrupted there when the adults perished. There was an identification system, currency, education, and a job for everyone. It was a dream to have so much order after the Mall Rats had spent years battling enemy after enemy. But it was all too, boring for Amber.

"You're mad because you chose to come here?"

"Not at all," she shakes her head, "I'm mad at myself for craving adventure. I'm mad at Trader because he's so content with working in the Market, I'm mad at Bray because he's…well Bray. And I'm mad at Ellie because she's turned our beginnings as a Tribe into a freaking Soap Opera!" She throws up her hands, with a defeated laugh. She must've looked absolutely ridiculous storming through the halls, running down people like she'd gone mad.

"You always were attracted to leading, even when you didn't want to. It's your calling. But we can't go back there. There isn't even a home anymore."

They had gotten word back from Jay just a few days ago that the mall had burned down. They had only been on Techno Island for two months and already their hope of ever returning to 'their' City was being squashed. Not only had the virus really taken a horrible course there but their home was gone.

"I don't know Trudy, I just…I feel like we abandoned all those people. The City, it calls to me. I may not be able to train with Beta Unit for their trip, but I've made up my mind. When the Alphas return, I'm leaving with the Betas."

Trudy opens her mouth then shuts it, then opens it again. She didn't understand why this was so important to Amber. It was Mega's doing that left their City the way it was, not the Mall Rats. They had done everything they could to stop him and when they failed they did what they could to survive. But obviously Amber felt a stronger calling.

"Why is it so important to you?"

"I…we fought so hard when we were there. I just…it needs to be fixed."

She couldn't go on proving Hawk right. She was not the Storm Crow.

_I am Eagle,_ She thinks to herself, _Strong and courageous._

She had a farsightedness. She was sure the Phoenix would rise again.

"Well alright," Trudy accepts her answer. She isn't entirely sure she likes the idea of Amber going on this journey, but it's obviously one that needs to be had. "Neither Trader nor Bray is going to like it, but I've got your back. Now, come on, let's throw this thing in the trash," she takes Ellie's manuscript from her friend, "And go have some breakfast before our shifts."

"Fine," Amber acquiesces returning the smile.

Together they walk back in the direction they had come, Trudy dropping the thick packet of Ellie's story in a nearby rubbish bin. They'd have to talk to Ellie later about making it more of a biography. But for now, Life called.


End file.
